News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Short Description: The re:constitution Fellowship Programme offers 15 Fellowships to early- and mid-career scholars and practitioners to research, collaborate, and publish on issues related to democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Target Group: Early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners working on democracy and the rule of law, including academics, legal professionals, public officials,
Read more →At a BCSDN online roundtable on the new EU democracy instruments: EU Civil Society Strategy, the European Democracy Shield, and the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework and WBT civic space, experts highlighted opportunities for engagement, protection, and support for CSOs, but warned of risks from security-driven approaches that could restrict civic space. While the EU Civil
Read more →BCSDN members MCIC and CPCD are conducting surveys to monitor the enabling environment for CSOs in North Macedonia and BiH in 2025. The surveys are part of BCSDN members annual research cycle and the broader regional study on the enabling civil society environment, BCSDN flagship product, based on Monitoring Matrix methodology. The research aims to
Read more →The International Press Institute (IPI) and Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) have welcomed the EU Democracy Shield initiative and the European Parliament’s Special Committee’s Rapporteur’s draft report published on 21 January, and call for concrete implementation plans. They acknowledge the initiative’s strong focus on media freedom, journalist safety, and Anti-SLAPP measures, while stressing that political
Read more →Abusive lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists, activists, and other public watchdogs continue to rise across Europe, according to the 2025 Annual SLAPPs Report by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) and the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, despite the EU’s new Anti-SLAPP Directive entering into force in May 2024. The report records 167 new SLAPP
Read more →In a report adopted on 28 January, the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) frames EU enlargement as a strategic investment in the Union’s security and stability, warning that delaying enlargement risks creating geopolitical grey zones vulnerable to malign influence. The cost of non-enlargement would exceed the cost of accession. The report reaffirms that
Read more →The Venice Commission has updated its Rule of Law Checklist, a key reference tool for assessing how the rule of law functions in practice across different legal systems. The Checklist sets out a comprehensive framework covering core principles such as legality and legal certainty, including transparent law-making, legal clarity, and the predictability of laws. It
Read more →The International Press Institute (IPI) has joined media freedom and journalist organisations in calling for the full decriminalisation of defamation in Albania, stressing that recent amendments to the Criminal Code, while a positive step, fall short of European standards. Approved on 21 January by the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and Public Administration, the amendments
Read more →A civic education activity organised by the Serbian CSOs- Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) at “Xhevdet Doda” High School in Prishtina has sparked controversy following a public statement by the Municipality of Prishtina’s Directorate of Education. The session focused on the Kosovo Specialist Chambers—an institution established by the Assembly of Kosovo—and was conducted with
Read more →A coalition of civil society, non-profit, and philanthropic organizations has urged the European Commission to reverse its decision to withdraw the Directive on European Cross-Border Associations (ECBA). The Directive, approved by the European Parliament in March 2024, would allow associations operating in multiple EU countries to be recognised across borders under the same conditions as
Read more →The Platform of CSOs for the Fight Against Corruption in North Macedonia called the Parliament of North Macedonia to urgently appoint a director and deputy director for the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information. The agency, which plays a key role in safeguarding citizens’ constitutionally guaranteed right to
Read more →The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, and Lëvizja FOL welcome the newly adopted Strategic Plan for Access to Justice for the period 2026–2028, which gives priority to SLAPP cases. Adopted by the Kosovo Judicial Council it prioritizes SLAPP cases, marking a
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